Friday is last trip to Philly for Trans-Bridge

Trans-Bridge Lines of Bethlehem has announced that it is ending service to Philadelphia effective July 1.

The last run between the Lehigh Valley and Philadelphia will be on Friday, June 28.

Trans-Bridge had picked up the extra service earlier this year after Bieber Transportation Group closed, ending its service to the city.

Trans-Bridge said in a memo to its customers that its goal had been to help former Bieber commuters with reliable service to Philadelphia.

However, passenger counts were low, with some trips attracting as few as two passengers. There were never more than 17 passengers.

The company said with no possibility of receiving any kind of subsidy for the runs, it was not financially feasible to continue them.

The company said any passengers with unused tickets to Philadelphia can use them with Martz Trailways of Wilkes-Barre or Fullington Trailways of Lewisburg through a cross-honoring system that Trans-Bridge operates with those companies. A $5 surcharge will be charged for commuter book tickets, because those tickets are discounted.

According to their websites, Martz has stops in Allentown and Quakertown, while Fullington has stops in Allentown and Jim Thorpe.

Trans-Bridge said it will also offer refunds to anyone holding tickets to Philadelphia after July 1.

Writer Stacy Wescoe has her finger on the pulse of the business community in the Greater Lehigh Valley and keeps you up-to-date with technology and trends, plus what coworkers and competitors are talking about around the water cooler — and on social media.
She can be reached at stacyw@lvb.com or 610-807-9619, ext. 4104. Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.